When the coronavirus pandemic hit Lexington High School in early March, both students and teachers struggled to occupy themselves while staying at home. Many turned towards songs, movies, and books as a temporary escape from the chaos outside their doorstep.

With sporting events cancelled, concerts postponed, and festivals delayed, students looked to alternative ways to occupy themselves. Online entertainment companies boomed as a result of the growing demand for “at home” entertainment. 

From listening to nostalgic songs to binging Netflix’s top picks, everyone’s quarantine experience was different. After a conversation with LHS community members, the following list was compiled of  some of their favorite media sources. 

Favorite Books:

• “So You Want to Talk About Race” by Ijeoma Oluo
  • “I think it is a fantastic book. Each chapter [has] many essays on a topic, and even though I read it straight through, I think it will serve as a resource for me to go back and read individual chapters and refresh my memory.” – Charles Willis, History Teacher
• “One Flew Out from the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey
  • “The little language kinks and adaptations of the modern language, you wouldn’t find in every book. The author writes from the perspective of the patient in the mental hospital, so it isn’t clear what his thoughts are, which is an interesting writing technique.” – Lotem Loeb, Sophomore
• “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander
  • “It is extremely relevant to today. It talks about the caste-like system as well as the prisons and laws that are currently in place. It is a storyline of how we got here today. Overall, really interesting read.” – Michelle Wu, Junior
• “Too Much and Never Enough” by Mary L. Trump
  • “I found this book incredibly interesting because the author explored Donald Trump’s childhood to explain his policymaking today. It really helps to better understand the intersection between psychology and the decision making process.” – Anuka Manghwani, Sophomore

Favorite Movies/TV Shows:

• “The Help”

• “It’s a really good movie about racism in America.  [The producers] were trying to show the behind-the-scenes and illustrate the dynamics in these households well.” – Ananya Sivasubramaniam, Freshman

• “Avatar: The Last Airbender”
  • “It takes you through Aang’s journey of discovering he is the Avatar to growing and evolving through each element. There is so much growth in each individual character.” – Michelle Wu
• I Am Not Your Negro
  • “It is about James Baldwin and his work as an activist. When you walk away and remember specific scenes and what people were saying, you know that it was pretty powerful.” – Charles Willis

Favorite Songs & Podcasts:

• “You’re the One” – Kaytranada
  • “It feels like music you would listen to in a shopping mall or a trendy store. It kind of reminds me of when I wasn’t in quarantine.” – Lotem Loeb
• “The Joke” –  Brandi Carlile & “Freedom” – Beyoncé
  • “[They] have a social justice message to it and it is also a powerful give you hope type of song. It gives you kind of an uplift, you feel like ‘I can do this.’” – Charles Willis
• Pretty Basic – Alicia Marie & Remi Ashten
  • “It is very engaging to listen to because you feel like you are listening to their conversations and it gives pretty relevant advice because they have experienced a lot of relatable problems.” – Michelle Wu
• The Moth
  • “Each episode features many different stories told by different people with a central tying theme so you learn a lot of different viewpoints. It fosters empathy. It can foster understanding. It’s so important to tell your story, and The Moth really does that.” – Srija Ghosh, Sophomore